Jaworski cites SMEs

The head of the Senate committee on trade and commerce has lauded the role of the small entrepreneurs in the economic recovery of the country.

In his speech at the sixth anniversary celebration of the Center for Small Entrepreneurs (CSE), Sen. Robert Jaworski praised the small businessmen who have "assisted and buoyed up (sic) the national economy amidst the financial storms like that in 1997 and last year which was marked by the Sept. 11 attack of the New York International Trade Center."

Established in1996, the CSE is an entrepreneurial center and training institution whose main thrust is to assist the "entrepinoys" raise the level of business management skills and prepare the ground for a more effective use of credit.

The center believes that given the right financial package, micro and small entrepreneurs are empowered to sustain their business operations.

CSE chairperson Mina Ramirez said through a supervised credit program, a beneficiary could avail himself from P30,000 to P300,000 financial loan as start-up capital for his business through a grant offered by Association for Technical Cooperation of Belgium with interest at two percent per month. – Nestor Etolle